Barbie Produced A Doll  In The Hope Of Encouraging Young Women To Pursue A Career In STEM Research

Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert has been named a 'Barbie Role Model' for her program at the University of Oxford and as the project leader for the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is currently used in a number of nations around the world. Barbie has produced a doll based on one of the scientists who worked on the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine in the hopes of encouraging young women to pursue jobs in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).

Professor Gilbert expressed her interest in encouraging the next generation of girls to pursue STEM careers, and she believes that the youngsters who will witness her barbie, will understand how important science is as a career and can be helping the world around us. Her desire is for her doll to show children occupations that they may not be familiar with, such as that of a vaccine specialist.

Barbie is also recognizing five other women who worked throughout the pandemic, in addition to Prof. Gilbert.

Barbie is also donating to Prof Gilbert's selected charity, Women in Science and Engineering, which runs an outreach program to encourage young women to pursue careers in STEM fields.

However, broadcaster Clara Amfo, the fastest woman in British history Dina Asher-Smith, champion skateboarder Sky Brown, model, and activist Adwoa Aboah, and boxer Nicola Adams are among the former Barbie role models in the UK.

Meanwhile, the five-woman includes, Amy O'Sullivan, an emergency room nurse at Wycoff Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, who served the first COVID-19 patient. The list further continues with Dr. Audrey Cruz, a frontline worker from Las Vegas, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, a psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto, Canada, Biomedical researcher Dr. Jacqueline Goes de Jesus, and Dr. Kirby Whitby.